Fragile Glass Heart
by Neverland's Kitsune X
Summary: Ryoma Echizen has just won the Nationals for her team, but then she finds out her teammates were only using her as a tool? That's right, Ryoma is really a cross-dressing girl. Full of twists and turns in a spider's web full of trickery and lies, regret fills hearts and secrets break others apart. And behind it all, a fragile glass heart shatters into a million pieces, broken.
1. Chapter 1: Counterattack to Betrayal

Ryoma Echizen was tossed into the air as the Nationals ended with Seigaku as winners. He had done it. He had beaten Yukimura Seiichi, Child of God.

Correction, she had done it. Because Ryoma Echizen was a girl, hidden from everyone's knowledge. Even the data players couldn't figure it out due to her flat chest and high pain tolerance for her annoying period cramps.

As the stadium was cleared and only Seigaku was left to revel in the glory of their win, an unexpected event occurred. Laughter. Cold, cruel laughter from Momoshiro Takeshi.

As he wiped away tears from his eyes, he pointed a finger at the young girl, sneering at her.

"Did you really think we were ever your friends? Now that Seigaku's won, you can leave and die for all we care."

Ryoma blinked before it registered in her mind. Her eyes widened in disbelief. As her gaze hastily scanned the other members of her team for reassurance it wasn't true, and when she didn't find any, her expression became blank. A still calmness overwent her entire being. She tilted her head, not seeming worried at all.

"So it's true?"

Her question was directed to her buchou, the one who wanted her to become the 'Pillar of Seigaku'. Not as if she planned on staying at the school anymore if the answer turned out wrong.

Tezuka's lips curled into a condescending smirk. "Yes, it was all a plan to win. You are not needed anymore."

Ryoma smiled back sweetly. Nodding her head to her 'captain', she turned to the others, clasping her hands behind her back. Her lack of surprise made them fidget, worries rising about the plan.

"You guys hate me as well?"

A chorus of yes's and some nods answered her immediately. Ryoma didn't let her smile falter for one nanosecond. Fuji's eyes were open at this point when he blatantly asked outright and upfront,

"Why are you so relaxed?"

Ryoma leaned back on her heels, poking her two pointer fingers together with a pout. She looked off to the side.

"Well, I already had my suspicions. And besides, it's not as if you're going to be basking in your glory for long, right Monkey King?"

From his hiding spot, Keigo Atobe stepped out with a camcorder in his hands. His usual cocky grin was gone, replaced by a sour, twisted smile of anger.

"All on camera Ryo-chan. And stop calling Ore-sama such a crude name!"

Ryoma rolled her eyes as a playful smile blossomed on her lips.

"Awww, but it's such a fitting name!" She grinned her wild grin, something the Seigaku regulars had not witnessed often.

Ryoma turned and faced her old 'friends'. She stared at them as her smile became a sad frown, as if reminiscing memories. She started with the future sushi chef first.

"You were an amazing actor, even letting me into your family's restaurant. But even though I know your true intentions behind every false smile now, I'll still think of the times you showed a passion for the sport we have in common."

The data master next.

"I hate your style of tennis, it's constricting and difficult to beat. You make it as if your subjects can only live up to a certain potential. You're obviously wrong, humans never stop evolving, just as how I don't intend to either. But I will be waiting for the day you realize that everything, anyone, and even you yourself, can exceed your data."

Then came the hissing, humanoid-snake.

"... I really don't understand how, but even as deceptive as you are, Karupin really likes you. I suppose that and how you endlessly trained to raise your endurance will stick around in my memory for a while."

Her favorite person she used to eat burgers with.

"I must have made you go broke with all the times you paid for me. Maybe that's why I won't accept your lies as easily. You were so nice to me, how could I have been fooled? I ignored the signs from the beginning, idiot me. I won't forget our friendship, no matter how fake it was."

The 'mother-hen' of the team.

"You were always running yourself into the ground with worry for everyone. Was that all an act as well? If so, you're a damn good actor. I think for me, it was your caring for everybody that will be hard to not keep as a memory."

The cat-like third-year next.

"So nice towards me, though I still don't understand why you had to give me such an… unattached nickname. Was it simply easier to refer to me as a small person than to acknowledge I was in fact, human? Anyways, your loudness and simply your personality, even if it was a huge facade, will be something I hold dear."

The sadist, the blue-eyed tensai, the one who now frowned.

"To be honest with you, you scared me at first. You were immune to those sludges considered juice and you always had on such a charming smile. It made me so nervous around you, it was as if you'd drop everything at once and my whole perception of you would be a lie. Though, I suppose that is true now, huh? You had such wonderful smiles and beautiful eyes that will stay with me until the lies finally sink in."

Last one, the captain, the Pillar of Seigaku, the one who hurt her the most.

"... I really did like you. You were someone I could look up to, someone I wanted to play an endless match against. You said you wanted me to support Seigaku, be the pillar of support, but I don't even know if I'll come back here next year. Maybe I'll be dead by then. There's not a thing about you that I won't remember."

With a resolve as solid as glass, Ryoma held her head up as she gazed over the people she trained with, the ones she called her teammates.

"Goodbye until we meet again, for then i shall greet you as if we have never met before. I hope you all will understand now,"

She smiled in such an innocently, sweet and pure way that they shivered from her close to perfect mask.

"That you never cross an Echizen."


	2. Chapter 2: Newsworthy Announcement

It was odd to hear, for nearly everybody, that Ryoma Echizen, the renowned Prince of Tennis and the tiebreaker at Nationals, had called for a press conference. So as Ryoma walked up onto the podium with her family next to her, she merely smiled at the large turnout.

And mouths dropped as Ryoma Echizen, stepped into plain view.

Wearing a skirt.

Questions arose and were shouted. Notepads opened and were hastily filled, page after page. Cameras snapped picture after picture. Camcorders were turned on and began filming the tennis star. Rumors started, concerning Ryoma's true identity.

Was Ryoma a transgender?

Was Ryoma a homosexual?

Was Ryoma going to change genders?

Was Ryoma-

"Hello everybody, and thank you for coming today. I hope I haven't interfered with your schedules"

With a sweet smile and nervous words, Ryoma had them under her spell, already wrapped around her fingers without their knowledge. She gave out a shy aura mixed in with something that made it near impossible for others to look away from her. Her lightly flushed pink cheeks and the small pout resting on her lips tied together her little 'innocent' act.

"I'm sure you all have many questions, and I hope that my explanation will answer them. My name is Ryoma Echizen and I am a 12 year old girl. I have masqueraded as a male during my time in Japan because I felt it was simply unfair how girls were being treated in the sports division. I have gone to Nationals, and won no less, as a girl, hopefully proving that girls can excel in sports just as much as boys. I can only pray that you all will forgive me for my act. I understand that me admitting this will render all of Seigaku's wins invalid, but the guilt was too much for me. Again, I hope I will be forgiven. I apologize, but I am unable to answer questions for now. Have a nice day everybody."

With a bow, Ryoma's lips curled into her usual smirk, her hanging head effectively hiding it. She stood back up with a guilty face, puppy eyes averted to the side. Reporters screamed at her that they wanted to hear more of what she had to say, that they had so many questions, if Ryoma was insane taking away Seigaku's win.

The Echizen family calmly ignored each and every one of them. They had already gotten much practice from when they used to be in America. Back then, Ryoma went by another name, but was just as popular here. She held that wild card in her hands, planning to play it when Oishi Shuichiro and Eiji Kikumaru were there to witness it. Which, she hypothesized, would be very soon.

After all, she was going to the sushi shop where she knew they would gather to celebrate their win and good riddance of her. They should hear the news concerning her gender soon, but Ryoma was positive they would be far more interested in knowing they didn't win anything after all. A girl in the boy's tennis team? How wrong, disqualify them immediately!

Nanjiroh looked over to his daughter with an amused smile curving his lips gently.

"You don't seem very worried about the chaos this will cause."

Ryoma giggled and took her father's hand.

"It's fine, I planned this route from the start. If Seigaku had been actually nice, I wouldn't have spilled about me being a girl. I'd have Keigo help me fake my death so I could 'come back' as Ryoma Echizen's long-lost twin sister, given up for adoption at birth."

"Such an evil child I have raised!"

Nanjiroh flailed his other arm around as he wrapped one around Ryoma's shoulders. Ryoma didn't bother shoving him off, he wasn't that bad.

"They deserved it, Monkey King will show you the video later."

Nanjiroh sighed in the way grown-ups do when their children are doing something they specifically told them not to do.

"Be more respectful towards your cousin Ryoma."

Ryoma shrugged, also knocking her dad's arm off its perch at the same time.

"Oh please, I'm sure that _Monkey King_ doesn't mind _Oyaji_."

Ryoma purposely exaggerated the nicknames as she childishly stuck out her tongue. With a roll of her eyes, Ryoma stalked off, looking for a vending machine so she could get some of that heaven in a can otherwise known as Ponta.

She supposed that it won't be long until _he_ comes back as well. She really did miss the arms she sought comfort in after a nightmare, the warm eyes and proud smile after she won an especially challenging match, the gentle hands that would create intricate hairstyles in her long locks.

Which reminded her, she didn't need this wig anymore.

With a breath of relief and the light weight of the fake hair off her head, black hair tinted with emerald streaks fell down to Ryoma's mid-thigh. After a long time of no maintenance, it had knots, tangles, and numerous split ends. She briefly wondered if she should have it cut into a pixie style, but decided that she shouldn't since _he_ liked her long hair so much. She did make a mental note to herself to cut the split ends off, they would only make more knots. Calmly running a hand through her mess of hair, she attempted to sort out her problem.

At the sushi shop, the regulars were running there, hoping that the news they had just heard on radio, or saw on the T.V, or seen in person (Inui) wasn't true.

Ryoma Echizen, the freshman ace of Seigaku, was a girl?

As the eight young men sat inside the reserved shop, they began discussing their predicament.

"But if Echizen's a girl, then we'll be disqualified for the win!"

Momoshiro hit his hand against the table.

"Saa… We can't change her gender."

Shusuke's eyes narrowed into slits.

"If we hadn't told her our plan, do you think we would have gotten away with it?"

Oishi leaned back in his seat, obviously miffed.

"Pshhhh, it's all Momo's fault for shouting it out loud."

Kaidoh pinned the blame on his rival within a heartbeat.

"No, you see, what we need to do now is-"

"Aww, why wasn't I invited?"

Ryoma smiled cheerfully as she skipped inside the restaurant and plopped down onto a seat next to Momoshiro and Eiji. She reached over and took a sushi roll, popping it in her mouth nonchalantly, as if she hadn't ruined everything Seigaku had worked so hard towards.

"Excuse me," Inui pushed up his glasses. "But who are you?"

Ryoma giggled, a light intoxicating sound filled with hidden intentions. She took another roll and pointed it with a wink at Eiji and then moved it to Oishi.

"Why, I'm sure the Golden Pair of Seigaku should know me!"

Ryoma bit into her food and swallowed, finishing the small treat quickly. She stood up and put one of her hands on her hips, pointing the other straight out in front of her with her fingers poised to look like a gun. She tilted her head at the blank wall that stared back at her.

"Only the Devil shall hear your cries for help."

Ryoma's now icy voice sent shivers of fear down everyone's spines, save for two who were only in excitement. Eiji jumped up, standing next to Ryoma.

"Y-You're the Devil's Fox! You're the best doubles player in America, no, the whole world! They say you can also play singles as well, but you're the most famous for being able to play doubles with anyone who trusts you! Nobody knows your real name."

Ryoma smiled graciously at Eiji. "Correct! Did your partner know as well?"

Everyone looked over to Oishi who had sparkling eyes, as if he was mentally screaming 'I can die happy now'. He was, simply put, starstruck.

"Yeah, but I think he's a bit out of it right now."

Ryoma nodded and turned her attention to the door. As if on cue, Keigo stepped in, followed by the rest of his team. Without missing a beat, meaning he ignored all the curious and murderous glares, Keigo Atobe calmly walked over and hugged his younger cousin, his arms holding her with just the right tension, not too tight to suffocate her like those glomps she had gotten before, and not too loose as if it was only half-hearted.

Ryoma sighed in content and hugged Keigo back, nuzzling into his neck. She listened to is heartbeat for a while, the steady rhythm keeping her nerves under control.

"Kei, why don't you tell them?"

Ryoma offered generously. Keigo smiled warmly, stroking Ryoma's face softly. He trailed a finger down her cheek and used it to cup her chin, making her look up at him. He pressed a sweet kiss to her forehead.

"It took you long enough to drop that infuriating nickname you called Ore-sama."

Ryoma rolled her eyes, a playful smirk on her lips. She reached up and kissed Keigo's cheek. Batting her eyelashes at him with a pout, she leaned in towards him.

"Hm? What was that Monkey King? Did you say something?"

Keigo's eye twitched in annoyance. He sighed deeply and released his captive from the hug.

"You never will learn, will you now Ryo-chan?"

Momoshiro was, surprisingly, the first to connect the dots.

"Ryo-chan? Wasn't that what you called Echizen yesterday?"

Ryoma smiled a dazzling grin at him.

"Aww, looks like Mo-mo-shi-ro sen-pai was the first to figure it out!"

Ryoma stretched out his name tauntingly. Her famous smirk lay on her lips as a death glare resided behind her hazel eyes. She placed a hand over her chest.

"Nice to meet you all! I am known as the Devil's Fox in America. But you all probably know me as Ryoma Echizen, the girl who took away Seigaku's victory."

With her announcement, the trouble began. And quickly ended when Keigo turned on the small portable T.V. he had brought along. On it was a news feed, showing some 'leaked footage' of Seigaku telling Ryoma Echizen how 'he' was unneeded anymore.

" _Now that Seigaku's won, you can leave and die for all we care."_

Momo's recorded voice echoed its venom filled words through the empty silence in the room, sealing off any doubt how the regulars felt about the freshman ace.

Ryoma, unnoticed by most at this point seeing as how everybody was turned towards Momoshiro, had clenched her fists tighter together. Her breathing was coming in quicker puffs and her arms trembled slightly.

Two people did notice though. Keigo whose insight led him to see all the cracks in her mask, all the broken pieces of her glass heart scattered around. Without a second wasted, Keigo was holding Ryoma in his arms once more, stroking her long hair and whispering quiet reassurances in her ear. Ryoma only hugged him back, not daring to say anything and let herself show weakness.

The other person who noticed felt his heart clench in guilt. Having second doubts about the plan that ruined one female's perspective on getting close to anyone anymore, crystal blue eyes that held the same emptiness as his smile, turned away.


	3. Chapter 3: Reason for Everything

**Thank you so much to those who sent me reviews! They really do encourage me to write faster. ^x^**

 _ **Flashback Chapter**_

" _Ryoma, meet your cousin." Rinko Echizen gently nudged 12 year old Ryoma Echizen away from the refreshments table where she was stuffing her face with chocolate. So much for having a polite daughter at her sister's surprise birthday party, Rinko thought._

" _Hm?" Ryoma barely glanced up and merely nodded as she returned to devouring the hou devoirs._

 _Atobe Keigo stood with a very annoyed expression on his face. Who was this peasant to treat him with such disrespect? Yes, she was his cousin on his mother's side, but really? Turning away a chance to talk to him for food? How rude!_

" _Ore-sama is gracing you with my presence, be grateful plebian." Keigo sniffed haughtily and turned up his nose._

 _Ryoma blinked before the style of speech registered in her tennis filled mind. She swallowed her food and turned to see, yup, it was Monkey King. Oh the joy, note the sarcasm._

" _So we meet again Monkey King."_

 _Keigo's eye twitched at the nonchalant response, wasn't she supposed to fall to his feet and shower him with her declarations of love? And that atrocious nickname, just like-_

 _Keigo froze in his mental train of thoughts' tracks. He nervously turned to Rinko._

" _Rinko-san, what did you say her name was?"_

 _Because Keigo needed some solid confirmation that this girl in front of him wasn't Ryoma Echizen, the brat who had beat him and was soon to be going against Shitenhoji in the semifinals after having_ _crushed_ _lightly defeated Hyotei._

" _This is Ryoma. Ryoma, say hello to your cousin more nicely." Rinko lightly scolded._

 _Ryoma raised an eyebrow, as if asking, 'Be respectful? To this guy? As if.'_

" _Nah." With a turn of her head, Ryoma's long hair following the smooth movement, Ryoma returned to tasting the delicate sweets set out. Rinko sighed and walked away, looking for a conversation with her sister._

 _Keigo growled uncharacteristically. He ground his teeth together and managed a very strained smile._

" _Ryoma Echizen, you do understand that I can report you being a girl to the officials and have you and Seigaku disqualified?"_

 _Ryoma paused, her hand holding a strawberry dipped in chocolate stopping from reaching her mouth. She sighed deeply and turned to face her cousin._

" _Of course I know that. And I don't really care. What do you have to gain from it anyways? You've already lost."_

 _Keigo felt veins popping up all over his head. He took deep breaths to calm himself down. Why, why oh why, did he have to be cousins with one of the most infuriating people in the world?_

 _Though, he couldn't help himself from looking her over. How she kept her gender a secret was a mystery to him. In her current outfit, her curves were well defined. Her green tinted, nightingale black hair complimented the light blue, knee length dress she wore. The top half of the dress was in a t-shirt design, covering Ryoma's shoulders and only having a modest scoop neck that showed off her heart locket necklace. It was connected to the lightly flared out skirt with a golden belt made of chains, almost matching Ryoma's striking eye color._

 _Her accessories were girlish as well, a few gold colored bangles on each arm, along with a key on a chain Keigo guessed to be the one that unlocked her pendant. As Keigo's gaze trailed down, he felt himself growing a deadpan expression._

 _Ryoma had worn her old tennis sneakers._

 _Ryoma was looking over her cousin as well. She noted that he had cleaned up nicely, wearing a classic penguin suit. The tie was crooked though. Stepping forward bravely, she reached up and tugged lightly on the cloth, adjusting it so it was straight once more._

" _You look pretty good, but your tie was tilted."_

 _Keigo took a step back in shock. Was she… being nice to him? What? Impossible, right?_

 _Ryoma looked up at the person whom she hadn't exactly worshipped since… ever. With a sigh, she held out her hand, and unexpectedly, smiled. It was a small smile, one that said she would try if he did too._

" _Truce? Since after all, we are cousins, and I sincerely doubt our moms will let us fight forever."_

 _Keigo blinked in contemplation and sub-shock. Slowly, he reached out and linked his fingers through Ryoma's. It fit perfectly, as if they were made to hold hands since their birth._

" _... Truce." Keigo whispered. He caught himself from getting all soft and cleared his throat. "Ore-sama accepts your decision. Be grateful peasant."_

 _Ryoma rolled her eyes with a sigh. She suddenly smirked, a look not unlike Niou's after a prank now filling her hazel eyes. With a flourish and bow, she had raised Keigo's hand to her lips and kissed the back gently._

" _It was an absolute pleasure to see you here Keigo-kun, but I'm afraid the food table is calling my name. Ja ne!"_

 _With a spring in her sneaker-clad footsteps, Ryoma Echizen walked away, leaving behind a fuming young man._

 _After all, how dare she reverse the roles of a gentleman and lady? Keigo wasn't against equality for both genders, but leave the hand kissing to the boys! He hastily wiped off the tainted hand, yet it still had this electrifying feeling on it._

 _And it wouldn't leave his mind all night…_

 _It was only three days after the birthday party, and here she was. Ryoma Echizen stood in front of the massive Atobe mansion. She wondered why she wasn't 'responsible' enough to take care of the temple by herself when her idiot father and sweet mother were on a two weeks long trip to the hot springs. She was sure she could have stayed if her cousin Nanako had as well, but Nanako had a student exchange program, taking her away for a few weeks._

 _So she ended up at her aunt and uncle's_ _giant mansion_ _humble little house . Oh, yeah, and she supposed it was Keigo's too._

" _Echizen-sama." A butler bowed to her, making her wonder what kind of place this was exactly. Butlers? Really? Were they that rich and lazy?_

" _Please, simply call me Ryoma, it will be far less confusing if my family ever comes to visit."_

" _Ryoma-sama, I will lead you to your room. I am afraid your aunt and uncle had been uninformed of your visit beforehand, and all the guest rooms are in the process of being redesigned as we speak. You will stay in Keigo-sama's room."_

 _Ryoma's eye twitched. Oh for the love of-_

 _Deep breaths, she reminded herself. Deep breaths. She was their guest, she wouldn't snap, she could manage this._

 _With a shaky smile, Ryoma gestured for the butler to lead her away. The butler began the trip up the staircase, towards a room on the far left. Ryoma silently followed, tugging at her clothes, just a bit nervous. Yes, they were cousins, but not very close. At all._

 _As in they'd have killed each other by now if they weren't on the peace treaty. Which reminded her, was it still valid? She needed it more then ever now._

" _So we meet again." Keigo crossed his arms and stared down at the cross-dresser._

 _Ryoma, clad in a simple navy hoodie and black sweats, felt just a bit underdressed in front of Keigo. Oh, who was she kidding? Keigo was in silk pajamas, and to her amusement, bunny slippers._

 _Don't worry, I'm sure they were made of some fancy imported material as well._

 _Ryoma raised one eyebrow in acknowledgement before sighing deeply._

" _I'm afraid I'll be crashing at your room for a while Monkey King."_

 _Keigo sniffed, as if Ryoma's casual words in his royal presence were hurting him._

" _First off, you'll need to lose that nickname."_

" _Made made dane."_

 _ **Ryoma's Pov**_

 _I left my small backpack of clothes, my tennis rackets, and guitar in the room. It was huge, I wonder if I could just sleep on the floor? The floor is covered in the luxurious carpet that tickles my feet, it's so fluffy!_

 _Keigo led me to the dining room where a maid (So they do have maids!) told us that uncle and auntie were away at a business trip for a few days. And they left Keigo in charge, but my parents wouldn't let me be alone._

 _So much for responsible grown-ups…_

 _I took a seat across from my cousin and began devouring the meal. It was a Japanese meal, thank goodness. I finished quickly, but it appears Keigo is used to eating even faster. He sighed impatiently as I finally swallowed my last bite. I was ready to wash the plate myself, but a maid took it away before I could even stand up._

 _I followed Keigo back to his, or is it our now?, room. He sat with crossed legs on his bed as I stood next to the door._

" _So…" He started off slowly. "It seems Ore-sama will have to share the bed with you."_

 _I frowned. "Actually, I could just sleep on the floor-"_

" _A cousin of Ore-sama's won't have to sleep in such unsanitary conditions. You will share the bed with Ore-sama."_

" _As long as you drop the 'Ore-sama' stuff Monkey King."_

" _... Fine, but I want you to stop calling me that… nickname as well."_

" _... Alright cousin, I'm going to take a shower. Do I need my wig here, or can I take it off?"_

" _I don't care either way… cousin."_

" _Ryoma. Just call me Ryoma."_

" _Ryoma-chan, I don't care."_

" _Hai cousin."_

 _I took a quick shower in the bathroom. You never do understand how stupid you are until you try to use someone else's shower. Apparently the Atobes have a full on water spray massage. Wow. I decided my wig was unneeded, so my real hair found freedom after the invigorating cold shower. I couldn't figure out how to make the hot water come on…_

 _I was rubbing off my wet hair with an extremely absorbent and fluffy white towel as I walked back into the bedroom. Keigo was laying stomach up on the king sized (How ironic) mattress. He looked over to me and nodded. I wrapped the towel around my shoulders to soak up any dripping water._

 _Keigo rolled over onto his side, now facing me._

" _... Why did you come to Japan?"_

 _His question startled me, my heart clenching at the reason why. My eyes frantically looked around the spacious room and wouldn't stop their roaming. Keigo sat up, looking annoyed, and put a finger under my chin, making me face him._

" _Care to answer?"_

 _I looked past him to outside the window. It was getting dark, the stars were out, and a crescent moon hung the opposite way lit up the sky. I took in a deep breath. Mom had told me it always helps to tell someone, to confess your deepest fears and secrets. But can I trust him?_

" _... Kei…" I whispered nervously, my lips feeling dry. I licked them to keep them wet._

 _Keigo blinked in surprise before simply raising an eyebrow._

" _I suppose that's an alright nickname. Continue."_

 _I gathered my bravery and looked him in the eyes._

" _Can I trust you?"_

" _... Yes. Even if I don't like you right now, you are still my cousin. You can trust me."_

 _Keigo's answer sounded so sincere, I couldn't hold it back anymore. My lips parted and my eyes grew glassy with salty tears. I felt the memories come back, the terrible truth that drove my entire family to Japan._

" _Kei… Kei…" I sobbed, bring a hand up to wipe away my tears._

 _Keigo had wide-eyes right now, I would have laughed if I wasn't about to tell him my biggest secret. I felt hands cupping my face softly, as if afraid I would break._

 _I was already broken though._

" _Kei… hic… I w-was… hic… raped. I was raped in America" I managed to get out before dissolving into tears once more._

 _I hung my head down, ready for that disgust to come, the hateful looks. The ones all my classmates had given me when the truthful rumor got out. Since I was 'impure' and 'dirtied', I shouldn't be allowed to talk to anyone anymore._

 _What happened next surprised me for sure. A warm embrace from Keigo. He held me so perfectly, as if he was protecting me from the cruel world outside his arms. And that's how it felt. I truly felt safe in his hug._

 _I cried my heart out. I'd need to drink two water bottle to replace all the tears I spent that night I fell asleep in Keigo's arms, but I didn't care. The feeling being next to him gave me… It just felt so right._

 _In the morning I woke up with a massive headache, courtesy of my sleeping with wet hair. I felt a warmth on my chest and snuggled into it. Karupin felt different though, this wasn't furry, it was smooth and-_

" _It seems you've woken up now Ryo-chan."_

 _A deep voice reverberating through the morning silence made me open my eyes groggily. I turned onto my side to see Keigo looking at me with a gentle smile, an arm holding me close to his chest._

 _I blinked before the night before came to mind. That's right, I told him everything…_

 _Tears filled my eyes again. Just when I thought I couldn't cry anymore, they came back with a vengeance._

" _K-Kei…" I whispered._

" _Shhh, you don't need to say anything Ryo-chan. I don't hate you."_

 _I blinked back the tears and nodded. I slowly wrapped my arms around Keigo's body. In response, he hugged me a bit tighter as well. So he didn't hate me. He was the first one to accept me for who I am._

" _You can go back to sleep now Ryo-chan, I'll keep you safe."_

 _I nodded and buried my face in his sturdy chest, smiling a secret smile, happy to have someone to take care of me once more._

 _After all, I am still a child._

 _ **Keigo's Pov**_

 _To say I was shocked was an understatement. Ryoma's hair was really long. I hadn't noticed it at the party, but it reached past her waist. Her small figure sat perched on the bed, her knees bent so the bottoms of her feet touched the mattress._

 _I asked her an innocent question, hoping to understand my cousin better._

 _I got a sickening reply._

"" _Kei… hic… I w-was… hic… raped. I was raped in America"_

 _My whole outlook on the freshman who beat me in tennis changed in a second. Raped? As in… she was… how could my cousin have been… violated?_

 _Before I knew what my own body was doing, I had Ryoma in a tight embrace. She sobbed in my arms, yet for some reason, I didn't care at this point my 9000 yen pajamas were getting ruined. I just held her in my arms until she fell asleep._

 _It all didn't matter to me anymore. This was my resolve. I'd be the rock for her, the person who took care of her, I'd keep her safe no matter what._

 _Looking at her with new eyes, I lay her down on the bed beside me. Her breathing had slowed into a steady rhythm, and her tears stopped flowing out. I don't how long I simply stared at her serene face before I fell asleep as well._

 _I woke up to an angel's face. Long eyelashes framing closed eyes. A small pout on the rose bud pink lips. Wild, messy bed hair that looked so disheveled it couldn't be tamed in 30 minutes, at the least._

 _Alright, so maybe it wasn't exactly an angel's face, but it was my younger cousin's. I sighed tiredly, my breath hitting her face and making her scrunch up her nose. Wrapping an arm around her, I breathed in the morning air mixed with the strawberry shampoo Ryoma had used last night._

 _She stirred, and nearly opened her eyes. I don't recall my exact words, but I remember telling her she was safe in my arms, that she could sleep in if that's what she wished._

 _I won't ever forget the warm feeling in my heart when she leaned in to hug me, putting her fragile trust in me._

 _With my arms around her, out of simple curiosity, I placed my fingers to my head, activating my insight. The world turned into my kingdom. I looked over to Ryoma and my heart clenched at the sight._

 _Her heart was slowly falling apart, only held together by stitches. But as she snuggled closer to me, the pieces seemed to fade, stitches fading away and leaving a whole-heart behind._

 _But there was still the matter of that lock wrapped around her heart in chains._

 **Back to the Present…**

Ryoma was falling asleep in my arms, how like her to do so. I stroked her hair as my team and Seigaku watched the confession I had recorded yesterday. Those traitors showed close to no remorse on their faces.

Didn't they understand how much they hurt Ryoma?

Every time I use my insight and look at her now, that patched up heart is missing. In its place, is a million shattered pieces of glass.

The one with closed eyes is sneaking glances over, but not at me, at Ryoma. What does he want with her? Obviously nothing good, he's still smiling. Although the smile looks sad, I'm sure it's only because Seigaku's victory was nullified.

She stirred in my arms. Count on her to fall asleep here of all the places, in the company of her traitorous teammates.

"... Kei…" She murmurs sleepily and in such a small voice I am forced to lean down to hear her voice.

"Yes Ryo-chan?" I asked her in a concerned and doting voice.

"... I need to go to the hospital tomorrow. I have the usual check-up. Please just let me go to a normal one and not hire one of your private doctors Kei." She pleaded.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair with a nod. I suppose I can always simply send bodyguards and Kabaji with her-

"And I can go myself Kei, none of your special Atobe military sh*t."

"Don't swear, you are a lady Ryo-chan."

"The only things that make me a 'lady' is that I have a uterus and not a pe-"

"Just be quiet Ryo-chan."

"Made Made Dane Kei."

It seems like my cousin's heart is healing after all.

 **In this story, I'm making Keigo into the overprotective kind of guy. I think he'd really act like this because of how he was raised, in the lap of luxury. He doesn't approve of females being hurt in the sense Ryoma was, although he was quite rude towards An in the past. He's more of a 'I'll push you this far, but nothing past' kind of guy if you get what I mean.**

 **To the lovely skylarraeyes who asked if this was going to be a FujiRyo, I am unsure about pairings at the moment.**


	4. Chapter 4: Not That Well Known

**To all the reviewers who are wondering about the pairings: I have none.**

 **None.**

 **At all.**

 **So go ahead and input your opinions, but please at least give me some sort of reason…?**

 **Like: Ryoma x Keigo because Kei is so overprotective of her it's cute and endearing. Also, they fit together so well with their cocky personalities.**

 **(Not saying I'm against or for this pairing, just an example.)**

 **Something along those lines. It just helps me.**

 **On with the story!**

* * *

Blue. Oh how he hated that one simple color.

Blue.

It was supposed to be a calming thing, but it only brought grief and sadness to him and his family.

And it all started with a simple question that he had asked.

" _Okaasan, how come I have blue eyes?"_

It destroyed the lasting connections his mother and father had. Few people knew this, but the Fuji family was tearing apart. And the oldest son knew why.

Because his eyes were blue.

His brother had brown eyes, his sister had brown eyes, his mother had brown eyes, and his father had black eyes.

" _... You're just… special Shusuke."_

The young tensai hadn't taken long to piece together the pieces and figure it out.

His blue eyes were screaming out his mother's adultery.

How else? After all, nobody in the family save for him had blue eyes. Besides, he had done a science project concerning DNA, using his DNA and his parents. When the slide of his didn't match with his father's, it was all too clear and painful.

He wasn't his father's child.

But that was the only father he knew.

So he did what anyone else who wanted to keep his family together might do. He used his younger brother's DNA in place of his own, and it hurt him so much when he walked up to accept a blue ribbon for the evidence of Yuuta actually belonging in the family, disguised under his own.

Shusuke didn't belong with the people he lived with, ate meals with, slept in the same house with.

Maybe that was why he had started going around with closed eyes. To hide that one hateful color, blue. So his father wouldn't be reminded, if he had found out yet, about the son who wasn't his son.

But he did find out.

" _I know you cheated on me you disloyal woman! His eyes are_ _ **blue**_ _, it's absolutely unnatural for a child of mine to have such a color!"_

" _He is your son-"_

" _No, he's not my son and he never will be!"_

 _Crash!_

The memory of his father throwing that vase at the wall, watching it shatter into a million pieces, and hearing the venom filled voice invaded Shusuke's mind. He came to a conclusion, one that made his heart weigh down with just so much guilt.

Metaphorically, Seigaku was his father, the poisonous voices were theirs, and Ryoma was the vase. Seigaku had thrown Ryoma away, broken him- no, broken _her_ , and given her such hateful words.

But the part that haunted Shusuke the most was the fact that the vase couldn't be put back together anymore. It was demolished, absolutely broken beyond repair.

And as his blue eyes looked over to the freshman in Keigo's arms, he couldn't help but feel a sense of acceptance.

Because he was sure the vase had never forgiven his father for throwing it at the wall. And it looked like the story would only repeat this time around.

* * *

Ryoma wasn't an idiot. She felt the stares. They were similar to the reporters' after all. So of course she'd know when someone was watching her, that's how she got so good at evading reporters.

But why was the 'tensai' of Seigaku looking at her? She couldn't figure it out, why did it feel so… sad? The atmosphere was suffocating as she met his stare head on. Blue clashed with golden hazel. And for the first time in a long time, Ryoma felt her conscious fading into her heartbeat as those blue eyes sucked her in.

Her mind flashed danger. Her heart beat faster. She needed to get out of this trap. So she looked away.

And so did he.

"Kei, I'm going to walk around for a bit, I'll see you back at the mansion later." Ryoma flashed a quick smile to her cousin before leaving. She didn't give anyone a chance to reply to her.

Once she left the little shop, she expected to be left alone. How wrong she was. When a hand fell on her shoulder, she instantly turned, her eyes widening in fear. The perpetrator held up his hands in defense, or a sign of innocence.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Ryoma merely blinked and tilted her head.

"Ah, Choutarou Otori, hai?"

"Yes, and you're Ryoma Echizen?"

"Yeah…"

"... Oh, I was wondering if you were going to be alright. What happened must have shaken you up a lot." Choutarou smiled effortlessly at her.

Ryoma bit her bottom lip and nodded. "... I suppose so… Thank you."

"..." They stood on the sidewalk facing each other in silence for a while.

"Hey, um, I was going to a nearby cafe, would you like to come as well? It's on Kei, no worries." Ryoma hesitantly invited the second-year to accompany her.

Choutarou couldn't help but notice how nervous she was. Looking down and to the side discreetly, and how she drew circles into the concrete with her foot. He chuckled lightly and pet her head, the tangles in it contrasting greatly from her other hair that she had managed to rid of knots.

"I'd be delighted to Echizen-san."

"You're too polite, just call me Ryoma." Ryoma didn't push away the warm hand on her head, instead absorbing the comfort greedily.

"Then you may call me Choutarou-kun." Choutarou graciously offered.

Ryoma nodded, a smile now resting on her lips. And off they went to the little cafe down a few blocks that was tucked in between a nightclub and office building, unknowing that they were about to meet a few other tennis players who've also heard the news.

* * *

"TARUNDORU! What was Tezuka thinking?!" Sanada Genichirou shouted as the tv played the 'betrayal clip', as it was now dubbed, over and over again.

"That is not how you should treat a lady." Hiroshi folded his arms over his chest as he leaned onto the table.

"... Jackal-kun, we must go give Ryoma-chan some cake." Bunta announced, a grim look on his face. In his mind, only cake could solve this.

"I'm not sure if that would help right now." Jackal replied, his eyes not leaving the screen. They were filled with concern and sadness, he had re-met the freshman after she had anonymously sent some cupcakes to Yukimura at the hospital, dropping them off at the receptionist's desk, and he had grown a soft spot for the female ever since, despite not having spoken to her beyond a few pleasantries exchanged.

"I had not predicted this coming." Renji muttered, flipping through his notebook. "Sadaharu has never shown signs of being so cold before."

Niou sat at the edge of the group, a glass of ice-tea in front of him. He stirred it slowly with a straw. He wasn't very surprised, he was the Trickster of the Courts after all. He saw how Seigaku was only using Ryoma. And he also already knew Ryoma was a girl. It wasn't too hard, after all, if he was able to put on a disguise, he'd be able to see through one as well.

Akaya didn't know what to feel or think at the moment. Seigaku was cruel, that was the only thing his confused mind could come up with at the moment. He too knew that Ryoma was a girl, after all, she had fallen asleep on him after that unofficial match they had where she unlocked the Muga no Kyochi, but he only saw her as a worthy opponent and didn't dwell on her true gender. And that day, Ryoma hadn't exactly bandaged her chest that well, so… Akaya unintentionally learned how soft breasts were.

Yukimura simply smiled a deceivingly innocent smile that hid murderous thoughts. Ryoma was… to him, she was _interesting_. That was the only way he could describe her. That was the best way he could describe her. The one who had beat him in a tennis match and even before that, she had visited him at the hospital.

Well, he had been pretending to be asleep at the time when she visited and sang a soft lullaby, but it was definitely the thought that counted. Oh, and he knew who the cupcakes were from, gossiping nurses and all. And when he found out Ryoma was a female, his curiosity only grew. And when Seigaku betrayed her, his anger flared.

"I don't suppose she'll be attending Seigaku anymore, and Rikkaidai would be such a nice environment for her." Yukimura stated, a creepy grin on his face, plotting how to get her to enroll soon enough.

"... And there's also this really good chocolate cake-" The door to the small cafe was opened, a familiar voice filling in the air before abruptly stopping.

"... Ryoma-chan, are you alright?!" Bunta launched himself at her, engulfing her into a hug.

Ryoma stumbled backwards until she hit a solid chest belonging to Choutarou. His hands slid up to lightly support her at the sides of her arms instinctively. Ryoma blinked once before her face erupted in flames. Being sandwiched between two (extremely hot) guys wasn't something Ryoma was used to, at all. She has her limits to how much she can suppress a blush.

"P-Please get off me Marui-san." She gasped, that being all she could get out in the net specialist's tight grip.

"You can call this genius Bunta-kun! C'mon, I'll give you some cake and you'll be better in no time!" Yet the boy didn't loosen his hold.

"I believe you're making Ryoma-chan uncomfortable." Choutarou gently pried Bunta's grip off the younger girl.

Bunta finally noticed him. He merely looked up at the other male who was a good 20 cm taller. Seconds passed until a timid voice spoke up.

"Um, you can let go of me now Choutarou-kun…" Ryoma still had that blush staining her pale cheeks.

"Oh, I'm sorry Ryoma-chan." Choutarou made sure she could stand on her own before releasing her.

Ryoma brushed away some of her bangs so they didn't get into her eyes. "It's alright, thank you for catching me. And thank you for trying to cheer me up Marui-san."

Bunta frowned at her. "Hey, I said you can call me Bunta! We're friends now, alright?"

Ryoma, not having to hide her feelings behind the mask she wore when disguised as a boy anymore, smiled gratefully at him. Bunta blinked before deciding she was cute, and therefore, he was going to hug her again. Luckily for Ryoma, a voice stopped him.

"Echizen-chan, why don't you join us with your friend?" Yukimura gestured for her to sit at their table, which was really two tables pushed together so everyone could fit.

Ryoma waved her hands and shook her head. "Y-You guys can just call me Ryoma, it's alright. And as long as the others don't mind…" Ryoma glanced over to the main concern, Sanada Genichirou.

Sanada's eye twitched as he observed the younger girl. How did he ever lose to her, a weak, shy-mannered thing that couldn't even voice her opinions or refuse an offer. Yukimura caught his eye and smiled angelically, sending shivers down Sanada's back. Yukimura turned back to Ryoma.

"I'm sure it's fine with the others, in fact, you can sit next to me, ne?"

Ryoma tilted her head, an innocent look that wasn't on purpose, she was genuinely confused.

"O… kay? Sit on my other side Choutarou-kun?" She looked up at the (much taller than her) boy who smiled and nodded in agreement.

"What do you want to order Ryoma-chan?" Bunta leaned across the table, nearly knocking over some dishes in the process.

"A Choco-latte with whipped cream and marshmallows, and a triple fudge cake." Ryoma felt is was what she needed at the moment. She had just been used by her old team and not to mention the fact she woke up in her own blood this morning. Sometimes only chocolate can help, and the fact her cousin had taken the last painkillers last week didn't help. She had to bear with the cramps.

 **(Psst, in my mind, a Choco-latte is just a heavily injected with chocolate latte. A hot chocolate with a shot of coffee. Don't know if it's real… )**

Yukimura blinked before it registered in his mind. He nodded sympathetically, understanding it wasn't Seigaku she needed the large amount of chocolate for. He did have a younger sister, and, well, her times of months made her pretty… violent. Yukimura put a hand on top of Ryoma's head. Ryoma, who was looking out the window, blinked owlishly at him.

He smiled a calming smile towards her, and it worked. She basically melted under his caring look.

"It's alright Ryoma-chan, you're a girl so it's natural." Yukimura spoke in a low tone that made it hard for others to hear him, and at the same times, it sounded impossibly husky and hot.

Only a few moments passed until Ryoma felt a blush crawling onto her cheeks when she figured it out that he had figured it out. She didn't meet his eyes, too embarrassed.

"I'm fine, it's not _too_ bad." Ryoma mumbled, for some reason wanting to give the 'Child of God' some reassurance.

"I'm always here if you need me, I have a younger sister myself."

"Oh… Still, it's not exactly something you must be comfortable talking about." Ryoma crossed her fingers under the table, hoping the waiter, or anyone at all, would hurry up and interrupt them.

But wishes are a very tricky thing.

What really happened was that Niou noticed Ryoma's nervousness at being so close to his captain, and decided to cause some mayhem. Simply taking on the appearance of Seigaku's captain did the trick.

Ryoma straightened up when Tezuka suddenly appeared out of nowhere, now sitting across from her where Bunta was earlier.

"Echizen, 20 laps around the block." Niou commanded. He had to force himself from not smirking.

Ryoma tilted her head as the words passed through her ears.

"... What are you doing Niou-san?" She asked, having by now figured it out.

"You're no fun, how did you figure it out, puri~?" Niou changed back into his own appearance. He smirked and leaned closer to Ryoma.

"Because he wouldn't assign me laps now, I'm not even on the team anymore." Ryoma stated bluntly. She yawned loudly in Niou's face, barely managing to cover her mouth with a hand.

"Puri, so rude. Do I need to teach the little girl some manners?" Niou's breath fanned across Ryoma's hand that covered her mouth.

"... N-Niou-san, please back up." Ryoma's face behind her hand turned a startling pink in a matter of seconds.

"How about if you call me by my first name, puri~?" Niou blew a puff of air at Ryoma's ear.

"I-I don't even know it!" Ryoma whisper-screamed, her face quickly becoming red.

"It's Masaharu dear." Niou's grin widened. He wasn't really trying to pressure her into calling him by his first name, he just found her reactions so amusing. Plus she was a new victim. He was going to have fun messing with her, he just knew it.

"P-Please back up M-Masaharu-kun." Ryoma shut her eyes, hoping when she opened them, he'd be back in his seat.

Niou blinked in shock. His eyebrows rose in amusement. So she had actually given in? How deliciously adorable, he thought. And just the way his name sounded on her lips… A tsundere, that's what Niou decided she was. Niou was already imagining how he could make little tsundere-Ryoma blush again.

Niou smirked once more before he pressed his palms onto the table, helping him to lean over. Ryoma peeked through her fingers, expecting to see the trickster sitting down again, but not expecting him to be within centimeters from her face.

"That's a good girl." Niou breathed onto Ryoma's lips before softly kissing her…

… on the cheek.

Ryoma yelped at the cold lips leaving her with a touch of electrical heaven. It felt like her cheek had gone into the pins-and-needles stage of being numb. Niou cheekily grinned at her and rubbed his finger over her other cheek, plastering something on, too light to bear any real weight.

As Ryoma turned multiple shades of crimson and pink, the orders were passed out. The waiter gave Ryoma a weird look as he set her chocolate items in front of her. What Ryoma wasn't aware of was the fact Niou had left a heart shaped smudge in a shade of sapphire blue on her cheek that hadn't been kissed. Inside this heart was a single word.

'Niou's'

So apparently, she now belonged to Niou. As Ryoma remained oblivious to her new temporary tattoo, she began eating her cake. The chocolate was a relief to her aching uterus. Oh how she longed for _him_ to come in and cuddle with her at the moment. Although _he_ hadn't been there when she got her first period, she found that Kei hugging her made the cramps just the slightest bit more tolerable.

"Ryoma-chan, where do you plan on going after this?" Choutarou asked her politely, sipping on his orange juice.

Ryoma blinked and tilted her head at him. "I'm not sure, maybe I'll just go back to Kei."

Choutarou nodded and smiled gently at her. "I'll escort you, alright?"

"Of course that's alright, why wouldn't it be?" Ryoma furrowed her eyebrows together and ignored the comment from Niou about a unibrow.

"Ah, i-it's nothing then, don't worry about it Ryoma-chan." Choutarou effectively, yet still politely, ended the conversation with Ryoma and began another one with Hiroshi.

Ryoma finished her cake relatively quickly, and proceeded to slowly drink her Choco-latte. Sanada, from across the table and a bit to the right, glared at her. Ryoma twitched at the intense stare and refused to meet his gaze. She stirred the whipped cream to melt into the hot drink. Sanada's glare intensified. Finally, Ryoma couldn't take it anymore and looked up at him, an irritated expression on her face.

"What?" She raised an eyebrow, trying to keep calm.

"I refuse to believe a girl defeated me and Seiichi." Sanada's eyes narrowed.

Ryoma blinked and turned to Yukimura who was only watching amusedly.

"Did I beat you fair and square at Nationals, and maybe even, oh, I don't know, _unlocked the goddamned Muga no Kyochi in the process_?" She asked sarcastically.

Yukimura chuckled and ruffled her hair, because it seems everyone enjoys giving her a hard time with the hairbrush in the mornings as she tried to tame the wild mess she only wishes she can cut.

"Yes, you did beat me Ryoma-chan. Don't worry about Genichiro, he's just in denial."

Ryoma stuck her tongue out at the fuku-buchou childishly. Sanada growled and his glare intensified even more. A dangerous aura emitted from him. Ryoma tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, as if challenging him to say anything. Sanada managed one word.

"How?"

"Huh?" Ryoma blinked.

"How did you defeat me?" Sanada ground out.

Ryoma's cheeks turned a light pink as she scratched her cheek with her pointer finger.

"Erm, right, it was actually all luck." She smiled with closed eyes sheepishly.

"Explain." Sanada folded his arms in front of his chest.

Ryoma turned even more pink, until she was fushia.

"I was sort of… *mumble*" She turned her gaze away to watch the waiters walking around.

"Speak up!" Sanada yelled, making him earn some looks from a few couples in the cafe.

Ryoma hung her head as a red erupted on her face.

"It was really pure luck. I won 7-5, remember? Well, I was also… *mumble mumble*." Ryoma leaned back in her seat and faced the other cap wearer.

"Speak. Up." Sanada breathed out, barely keeping in his anger.

"I was on my period!" Ryoma whisper-shouted, her face as red as a tomato's coloring now. She tried to tug on her cap, but she realized she had left it at the sushi shop. She groaned into her hands. How was she supposed to hide her blush now?

Sanada blinked, once, twice, before it registered in his mind. A light hue of pink attached to his cheeks as he felt himself grow a strange feeling of anger. Was she mocking him?

"I think that's enough now Genichirou." Yukimura smiled evilly and cut off anything else the vice-captain had to say.

"... Are you ready to leave yet Choutarou-kun?" Ryoma asked in a small voice, glancing up shyly.

"Hai, let's go now Ryoma-chan." Choutarou stood up and let Ryoma walk out of her spot first.

"Oh, right." Ryoma pulled out a few bills from her pocket, placing them on the table. It wouldn't be until later that the others realized she had paid for nearly everything.

That day, Jackal become eternally grateful for Ryoma saving his wallet from Bunta's expenses.

* * *

"Kei, will we leave soon?" Ryoma laced her fingers through the older male's.

Keigo glanced down at the younger female and softly squeezed her hand. "Whenever you wish to." He responded, indicating it was her choice.

Ryoma nodded and moved away to say her farewells first. Though, there was really only one person she needed to hug.

"I hope we'll see each other again soon Choutarou-kun." Ryoma smiled up at the much taller second-year who hugged her back and repeated her words.

"Kei, shall we?"

"We shall Ryo-chan."

"You're quite funny when you want to be, you know?"

"Ore-sama is hilarious!"

"That sounds just a bit out of context Kei…"

"Come on now plebian, the limo is waiting."

* * *

As the cousins left, the sushi shop became quiet. Hyotei's tennis regulars were uncertain of their next move, and seeing as the captain had left, it was unsettling without the natural born leader.

Choutarou was the first to leave. The fact he was in the same room as those who had hurt his newly made friend did not settle well with him. He decided he was going to practice the piano. He couldn't pick up a racket at the moment without his thoughts drifting back to Ryoma and the hidden hurt in her eyes.

Ryou soon followed, if for nothing else than for the reason he honestly didn't care much. Sure he was surprised when he discovered one of the cockiest little brats he knew was a girl, but he had no withstanding or outstanding relationships with her. She was just that girl who beat Keigo and made him shave his head. Really nothing else to him.

Hiyoshi left for the same reason as well. Gakuto wasn't far behind, and although he did have a slightly better relationship with her, it wasn't much. All that had happened was she had passed by him on a street court and complimented his jumping. She had then sat down on a nearby bench, watching him play against a brick wall as he trained his stamina. That had given his ego a huge boost, and not to mention she had thrown a new bottle of water to him when he finished his first.

Jiroh was already falling fast asleep. He didn't know why this girl was so important, and he was too sleepy to really care. Kabaji had to carry him out.

All that was left from Hyotei was Yuushi Oshitari. The blue-haired male simply sat in front of Seigaku. His gaze from behind the clear glasses was unnerving, it was lazy and as if he couldn't care less. It was like he was announcing he had a plan for revenge. In truth, he didn't he was simply wondering what Ryoma was to his captain. After all, she had some pretty nice legs… When he saw the late time, Yuushi left as well.

* * *

Eiji Kikumaru felt just a bit of remorse. Ryoma was a girl, and he was taught by all the many females in his family to never treat a girl with disrespect. But he hadn't known Ryoma's gender, so it didn't count, right?

Eiji shifted his gaze away from the sliding door that was closing as the last of Hyotei's regulars left. His eyes landed on the space between him and Momoshiro, where the young girl had sat. Her trademark cap and a phone cradled inside it lay on the table. Eiji's eyes widened before he subtly glanced around.

The other's weren't watching.

Eiji picked up the phone, turning it on, and noticing that it had a password lock. He sighed a bit and slipped it into his pocket. Next he picked up the cap, twirling it around his fingers by the adjustable strap. A thought struck him.

Standing up abruptly, he said a hasty farewell before leaving, both of Ryoma's items in his possession now.


	5. Chapter 5: Those Happy Moments We Passed

The phone was a flip phone.

His phone was a flip phone-

No, no, no, _her_ phone was a flip phone.

'How… boring', Eiji thought. 'And old.'

He held it in one hand, Ryoma Echizen's obsolete electronic, his eyes and mind still stuck on the passcode lock, a stark white number pad on a background of silver and red candy-cane like stripes. Sitting cross-legged in his room, he sighed, leaning his head back against the giant teddy bear in his room.

He briefly noticed the battery left. Halfway gone, halfway full. He sighed again and snapped it shut. Mulling over possibilities for a four digit password Ryoma would use, he felt a sudden wave of resentment towards himself. Sure, he could possibly tell more about Ryoma than a few others on the team, but he never really got to _know_ her. Heck, he didn't even know Ryoma was a 'her'!

With a frustrated noise, he got up only to flop onto his bed, sprawled out with his face in his pillow. The phone bounced to a stop next to him, beside a navy blue teddy bear, reminding him of happier times when the lies he fed the girl were forgotten in favor of fun and laughter. With a thought, Eiji pushed himself up to flip open the phone once more.

'Maybe… 1128? My birthday? I've tried the others', including some random guesses. Unlikely though-'

The phone unlocked.

'No, this just… must… be…' Eiji could only stare at the screen saver, eyes wide. '... a coincidence…'

For the screensaver was a selfie shot of Ryoma, Eiji, Bob, and there was Tezuka lingering in the background, unaware of it at all. Eiji had been the one to take the picture. Eiji swallowed the emotions choking up his throat. He could still remember this day. Of course he could, it was his birthday.

" _Ochibi, let's take a picture together!"_

" _Quack!"_

" _No thanks Eiji-senpai-"_

" _Nya, it's my birthday, and we're taking a picture!"_

" _Fine, but only one because it's your birthday."_

" _Quack!"_

" _Great! Then we'll_ never _forget this day Ochibi!"_

Eiji hastily closed the phone. He knew the passcode now, it wouldn't matter. A sense of regret, although he was unable to put a name to it, came over him.

'I guess… Ochibi never did forget that day…'

* * *

Ryoma was now tearing up the used to be very neat room of the heir to Atobe Corp.

"Aaaaaaaargh! I can't find them Kei!" She whined, crossing her arms as she plopped down on the bed with the mussed up sheets and blankets with her legs crossed and dangling of the edge and her back hunched over. "My cap and my phone are both gone! My phone has a password, yeah, but it could be hacked. And my cap! That was a birthday gift from you and him, it's irreplaceable!"

Keigo Atobe sighed, looking around his disaster of a room. He'd have to remember to get someone to clean it later. As he took a seat next to his cousin, he tugged on her, making her fall on top of him as he now lay on the down filled mattress.

"Ryoma," Keigo whispered in her ear, his eyes slowly closing. "We'll figure it out later. I'll deal with it, you can rest now. I know you can get moody during your times of month."

With a squeak, Ryoma's face turned red. As she tried to ignore her cousin's chuckles, she also wouldn't meet his eyes.

"H-How did you know…?" Ryoma managed, slipping off (the well defined abs and chiseled body of) her cousin to lie next to him. Her body was turned to the side with her knees brought curled up to her chest.

"Ore-sama could not just simply not notice the bloodstain upon the white bedsheets. There's no way to predict it either, ne? It's so irregular, didn't you-" Keigo was shut up by a fluffy pillow on top of his face.

"Okay, okay, I get it! And I'm sorry." Ryoma hid her blushing face in her hands with a groan.

Keigo smiled, eyes softening as he glanced over to the girl beside him. Draping an arm over her as he turned to hold her figure in his arms, he placed the pillow that was on top of his face underneath his head. A moment later and he had Ryoma's head resting on his arm.

"You can sleep now Ryo-chan, Ore-sama will watch over you." Keigo murmured in her ear.

Even Ryoma had to admit, her cousin's voice was very sexy. And very alluring, and husky, and so soothing. Moments later and Ryoma was fighting off a yawn. Seeing the younger girl puff her cheeks out in resistance to said yawn, Atobe Keigo did two things.

One, chuckle and pull her closer.

Two, notice the fading heart, smudged with a finger, upon her cheek.

Keigo's eye twitched.

"Ryoma, who put this on you?" Keigo asked as he traced around the blue heart.

"Hmm?" Ryoma hummed, eyes closed by now. A yawn escaped her lips. Her mind barely functioning, she supposed he meant who kissed her cheek, forgetting the fact Niou didn't wear lipstick, so it wouldn't be noticeable. "Ah, Masaharu-kun did." She mumbled before turning over to rest her head more easily in the crook between her cousin's arm and body.

"Ahn? He dared touch your sacred skin, and so close to your lips as well-"

"He just kissed me, and I can't say it was an unpleasant experience." Ryoma finished mumbling before falling into her dreams as Keigo bristled with anger at the words falling right out of her lips.

Whoops, Ryoma forgot to say 'kissed on the _cheek_ '. This might lead to some trouble…

* * *

 **/Flashback\\\**

 **Date: November 28**

 **Time: 10:37**

 **Location: Amusement Park**

 **Special Occasion: Kikumaru Eiji's birthday**

 **Told from: Echizen Ryoma's point of view**

* * *

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

* * *

 _I found out the hard way,_

"Quack."

Oishi sweatdropped.

"Um, Ryoma, what was that?"

I glanced behind me. A Mallard duck, green head and greyish body, stood a step back from me. I turned back to Oishi.

"A duck Oishi-senpai."

"Quack."

"Ummmm…" Oishi didn't know what he was doing at this point.

"Nya, why is there a duck?" Eiji walked up to them with a lollipop in his mouth.

"He followed me." I explained in a bored monotone.

"... Okay, well then, let's get going, Nya!~" Eiji turned on his heel and led us into fair with its bright and cheery open gates.

The rest of the team was already inside. I tugged at my navy hoodie, glad it hid my figure well enough. For the rest of the day, I faded into the background, getting a glance or two whenever the water fowl in my arms quacked. After ten minutes of almost being stepped on, he gave me ducky-puppy eyes. It was near impossible to resist and pick him up.

". . .Have him… more likely to…" Hushed voices drifted towards me from the group I was supposedly with.

". . .Join… he'll play better… the official matches… "

". . Don't let him…"

". . . Might leave. . ."

". . . Make him smile…"

As the whispers slowly dwindled down, birthday boy nodded and walked over to me as such, a smile plastered on.

"Nya, I've decided you're going to spend the day with me Ochibi!" He proclaimed loudly.

"I already was." I shifted the duck in my arms so it was easier to hold him.

"No, I mean we're going to stick together all day!" He cheered, proceeding to grabbing my hand and dragging me off to a game booth.

"Bet you Eiji-senpai's going to win." Momoshiro snickered from behind the two of us as we loaded our plastic dart guns.

"Saaa… I vote for Ryoma." Shusuke's calm voice scared me, coming from thin air.

"Nya, I'm not going to lose to you Ochibi! You're so _short_ I'm surprised you can reach the counter anyways." He snickered.

He just called me short.

He just called me _short_.

That was it. He just declared war. He's going to die today, screw the fact it's his birthday!

"And start!" The person manning the booth stepped out of the way as we began firing off darts to the pinned up balloons.

Depending on the pattern on the balloon (stars, stripes, circles, or plain), that determined our points. Color didn't really matter. I had gotten two stars, five circles, one striped, and one plain. Eiji had the same, and each with our last dart (having been only given ten ammunition) were aiming for the last star.

 _Pop!_

It was too close to call, and in the end, we each got a prize.

"Nya, not bad Ochibi!" Somehow… his smile seemed less forced than usual, as if he was forgetting the earlier conversation.

"... Made made dane senpai." I gathered the duck who had followed me closer to my body, shifting the teddy bear on a rope I chose as a prize so it was now a necklace with the plush dangling behind me, bouncing against me back at each step. "... You did pretty well yourself…" I murmured, looking away.

He slung an arm around my shoulders before we ended up in front of the 'Haunted Tunnel of Nightmares' with cotton candy in hand, along with a breadstick to feed to the duck.

"Where did the others go Eiji-senpai?" I asked quietly, looking around us as there was nobody else.

"Oh, I think Momo and Kaidoh got into another fight, so they had to stay back and stop them from killing each other." Eiji casually waved his free hand around, his own teddy bear tucked into the crook of his other arm which was connected to the hand holding his sky blue cotton candy.

"Velcome, to the Haunted Tunnel of Nightmares!" A voice hissed in my ear, causing me to spin around in surprise and a faster heartbeat. My impromptu, half pirouette was accompanied by Eiji's shrilly scream in my ear.

In a fully decked out vampire costume stood a man with the eeriest grin upon his flour white face. Red eyes, contacts most likely, and fangs curving from his upper lip, a lot like Oishi's hair/bangs. His hair was this deep, rich chocolatey brown slicked back with a few strands sticking forwards, creating almost a 'fancy waiter' kind of thing.

How was that… scary?

"Whatever." I muttered, stalking away into the dark tunnel as I twisted out a piece of my cotton candy.

"W-Wait Ochibi!" Eiji came running up to me, flashlight in hand. "Nya, you tried to leave me behind with the creepy vampire guy!"

"The only thing creepy about him was how he was able to sneak up on us." I rolled my eyes, releasing the duck from my arms. He'd probably want to leave.

Turns out, he didn't. He must want the breadstick. Oh well, it shouldn't be too scary inside, it'll be fi-

"AAAAAAAH!" I jumped back, a scream ripped from my throat as something in white and red and a murky brown jumped out at me.

"Ochibi!" Eiji yelled, voice quivering.

I blushed and tugged my cap over my eyes, embarrassed I had freaked out at what now I saw as an old white rag with 'bloodstains' in red and brown blurred across it, hung up on wires to look like a ghost.

"N-Not a word senpai." I grumbled, pushing past the empty fabric to stalk away in the direction I hoped was the exit. Boisterous laughter followed me.

* * *

"Awww, your scream was so cute earlier Ochibi! Like a girl's, nya.~" Eiji grinned at me, eyes turning mischievous.

". . . I think he needs a name." I announced, ignoring my senpai in favor of the duck.

"Ooh, I want to help!" Eiji bounced around me, dropping the other topic easily. "Nya, if he's going to be your child, maybe an American name-"

"My… child?!" My eye twitched. "The Hell you came up with that?"

". . . Anyways, what do you think of David? Or Jake? Or Jack? Nya~"

". . ."

* * *

Three hours later and I was entering a compartment of the Ferris wheel with Eiji, all our prizes we had won, and Bob the mallard duck with no idea on the whereabouts of the others. I wouldn't know a thing about them, and I shouldn't care so much either. After all, it's not my birthday, and they still might be…

"We're moving." Eiji breathed out in a whisper, slowly standing and walking over to a window.

I joined him, our hands pressed against the plexiglass, breath fogging up the sight before fading away. The lights were bright in the city below, a cliche thought, but it was true.

We moved in slow, jerky movements. The open sky was above us, the city ahead. I had to keep on looking ahead of me. That's what he told me. Because if I look back, I'll never grow.

"Nya, Ochibi," Eiji's voice was strangely quiet. "You should know this already, but… we all make mistakes. Big ones. But can you ever forgive them?"

"What are you talking about senpai?" I replied bluntly.

"Never mind-"

"I forgive you guys everyday. I'll be at Seigaku indefinitely." I cut in. "So what huge mess-up were you talking about?"

"I-It's nothing Ochibi. Just… um… stuff to do with Fujioko, Inui juice, and wasabi." He let out a nervous chuckle.

I didn't answer his white lie. I moved back to my seat and sat on it cross-legged, Bob on my lap. As I pet down his ruffled feathers, he relaxed in my hold.

"Bob seems to like you, nya." Eiji commented, but when I looked over at him, he was still looking outside.

"I guess." I used a finger to trace down Bob's spine. "I mean, I did sort of feed him my leftovers. So, probably, I suppose."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Where did his 'nya' go?

I nodded. He stayed silent. Sneaking a quick glance at him, I saw he was sitting too now, arm resting on the window's ledge as he peered outside, intaking the view as thoughts consumed his mind. His face was serene, a simple and peaceful look in his eyes. The silence stayed as we began the descent.

I didn't mind it.

"We'll be getting off soon." He told me, something different in the way he would usually talk. It wasn't much of a chatter anymore.

"Yeah." I murmured, eyes darting over to the stack of prizes we would need to carry off.

"We should get ready." He took a deep breath, exhaled, and turned to me with a 100% fake smile. "Nya, come on Ochibi, or else we won't be able to bring all our stuff off!"

I liked it better when we were both quiet. When I saw that vulnerable side of Eiji. When he wasn't jumping around like he was on a sugar rush, when he wasn't faking his smiles, when he was himself.

We got out of the compartment, prizes in hand. I started giving them to the kids in line for the ferris wheel, and a second later, I saw Eiji do the same. They were pretty cute prizes, teddy bears and hippos and giraffe plushies. We finished giving them all away until we were both only left with the teddy-bear keychain for me and a navy teddy bear for Eiji from booth number one. Having those stuffed animals simply with me and belonging to me was fun, although…

 _All good things come to an end._

"Ochibi, let's take a picture together!"

"Quack!"

 _But this one isn't over yet._

"No thanks Eiji-senpai-" I started.

"Nya, it's my birthday, and we're taking a picture!" Great, now he's playing the birthday boy card.

"Fine, but only one because it's your birthday."

It's the unspoken, universal birthday rules, that's the only reason I'm doing this.

"Quack!"

"Great! Then we'll never forget this day Ochibi!"

He smiled. It wasn't very big, it was a small curve to his lips. But it was real.

…

Then again, maybe I'm just hoping I won't forget this happy time as well.

He snapped a selfie of us, the three of us. And somehow Tezuka managed to unintentionally photobomb in the background. He sent me the picture. It looks nice. I think, just maybe, I can use it for my passcode background. It'll look better than just the blurry picture of Karupin jumping away with his cat toy. You can't even tell it's Karupin.

"Thank you." I said after a moment of simply looking at the picture.

"I should be the one thanking you." He whispered in a voice so soft I wasn't sure it was him who spoke. "I haven't had so much fun in a long time."

". . ." I don't think I was meant to hear that. Best not to respond.

 _Please, even for just a second longer, let us cherish this happy time in our life._

"Eiji, Ryoma, we're leaving now. They're closing soon." Oishi came up to us, casual smile on his lips.

"Nya, alright then, let's go!" He bounded away without a glance back, Oishi following after him at a slower walk.

I should be used to it by now. I guess I am used to it by now. I suppose I've been left behind all my life, it's just that they usually come back too fast for me to notice.

 _I think I'd like to relive this day over again._

"Nya, Ochibi, come on!" He called back at me, waving as Oishi turned from next to him to look at me as well.

 _Because it was such a happy time._

"I'm right behind you guys." I looked at Bob in my arms. " _We're_ right behind you guys."

 _I really like those happy times, the ones I look back on and smile at._

"Hurry up, you don't want to get locked in." Oishi warned, yet he didn't slow for me to catch up.

 _But the future is ahead of us._

I know. I know, but you should know that too. Is that why you're not as worried as always?

The gates came into view.

 _And I have to look forwards._

"Of course senpai. I won't get locked in." Despite my confident words, I did pick up my pace, only a few feet away from the gates. Some kids were crying as they refused to leave. I spared a smile, I know how it feels to have to leave what you love.

 _Else I'll cry from the sad moments we passed._

But it hurts even more when what you love leaves you.

 _And that, might break me beyond repair._

And doesn't come back.

I stepped passed the boundary between fairgrounds and city sidewalk. This time, I'm leaving. But this time, I'm leaving behind an inanimate object who won't feel sad.

Even if the fair could feel sadness, why notice the me?

There are so many other people out there better than me.

At anything and everything and nothing. Like Eiji.

Just look at how real his fake smiles look.

* * *

 **It's 3:55 A.M. and I am not asleep yet. It has been a very bad day for me. Enjoy your chapter I was supposed to write months ago.**

 **Happy New Years.**

 **Now to sleep.**

 **Thanks again for the reviews, and I'm seeing a mix in the pairings? There are some Tezuka, Niou, Marui, Yukimura, Shusuke, etc. I see. The poll on my page should hopefully be working.**

 **Just curious, how many of you guys read my other fics?**

 **Roses and mistletoe.~**

 **(To anyone curious, mistletoe for kisses, roses for different meanings. Ex: Love, friendship, good health, etc.)**


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